By Shashi P.B.B. Malla

The triumphant welcome of former King H.M. Gyanendra Shah at Tribhuwan Airport was very promising for all Nepalese who had hoped for a new lease of life.

Unfortunately, the next demonstration of the monarchists/royalists at Tinkune was a damp squib.

The show of force was too early and it was too badly organized. Moreover, the leaders of the movement underestimated the Dons of the Himalayan Republic.

The impression in the general public is that the movement for the restoration of the Hindu State and Constitutional Monarchy is sliding into irrelevance.

The diehard supporters of the Himalayan Republic are rejoicing, as for example:

   Hari Roka: “Inside the Collapse of Nepal’s  

   Monarchy Revival,” (Republica, May 11).

The op-ed is full of inaccuracies, and above all blatant self-contradiction.

Thus, Roka writes that a successful urban revolt requires the convergence of several key conditions:

  •  A high level of socio-economic dissatisfaction
  • Widespread youth unemployment
  • Deep disillusionment with mainstream political leadership.

Not only do the present social, economic and political dispensation of the Himalayan Republic meet the conditions for revolt/revolution exactly, Roka himself concedes that the mainstream political parties are interested only in bhagbanda and have failed to govern effectively.

Consequently, according to Roka:

  • Economic democracy has weakened
  • Corruption has become rampant
  • Employment generation has stagnated
  • The education and health sectors are near collapse
  • Agriculture is declining due to the exclusion of youth from agro-production
  • The country has entered a deep recession.

What proof is still needed that the Himalayan Republic must be radically changed?

Still, Roka and people of his ilk – commentators, analysts and pundits – claim that the majority of Nepalese society still believes in:

  • Federalism
  • Secularism
  • Republicanism.

We should be happy, because we still:

  • Enjoy freedom of speech
  • Have elected representatives
  • Have the opportunity to search for credible leadership and ideological parties that can fulfill the commitments made in their election manifestos!

Thus, Roka concludes that the monarchy does not appear to be a viable alternative to the current democracy (Loktantra).

He is indeed right, but for the wrong reasons!

Even the elderly leaders of the monarchy movement have not understood the ramifications of restoring the Himalayan Kingdom and finally discarding the Himalayan Republic to the dustbin of history.

A much younger leader like Gyanendra Shahi knows the pulse of the Nepali people intimately and is better suited to lead the movement to a successful conclusion.

Shahi knows that monarchy or democracy is a false choice.

The Nepalese people want both: Constitutional Monarch as head-of-state and a democratically elected executive prime minister as head-of-government.

Other details of the political order will be constituted by the people’s representatives themselves.

Unfortunately, a Panchayat-era leadership of the Monarchist movement, does not have the experience or intellectual capacity to make the new order palatable to the Nepalese people.

Neither have they the stamina nor the vision to plan effectively and resolutely to bring about meaningful change.

The writer can be reached at:

shashipbmalla@hotmail.com